34 Radio Stations Forced Off Air in Venezuela

Radio hosts hung their heads as their FM station was forced off the airwaves along with 33 other broadcasters targeted by President Hugo Chavez's government in what critics say is a campaign to muzzle his foes.

For the first time in decades, CNB 102.3 FM fell silent over theweekend after Venezuela's telecommunications regulators revokedsome of the 34 stations' licenses and refused to renew others.

But CNB challenged the government action within hours bystarting to transmit programming over the Internet. SportscasterJuan Carlos Rutilo told his online listeners: "Today freedom ofexpression is being restricted. ... Today you have one lessoption."

Media groups and human rights activists note more than 200 otherstations are under investigation for allegedly not being properlylicensed and accuse Venezuela's leftist leader of pursuing awidening crackdown to silence dissent.

In a similar step, one of Chavez's leftist allies, EcuadoreanPresident Rafael Correa, announced Monday that "many" radio andTV frequencies will revert to the state over what he calledirregularities in their licenses. He gave no specifics.

A majority of the stations affected in Venezuela airedcriticisms of the government, though they were not overtlyanti-Chavez and much of their programming ranged from American rockto salsa and traditional Venezuelan music.

In the country's polarized media landscape, CNB took arelatively balanced approach by interviewing pro-Chavez lawmakerswhile also having opposition politicians among its talk show hosts.

Venezuela still has many private radio stations and newspapersthat take a hard line against Chavez and strongly criticize thegovernment through both news reports and commentary. But in thelast decade, the government has built a growing coalition ofstate-run media outlets, and some TV channels once virulentlyanti-Chavez have toned down their criticism.

The only stridently anti-Chavez television channel that remainson the open airwaves, Globovision, is facing multipleinvestigations that could force it off the air.

Tensions ran high at Globovision's studios Monday as governmentsupporters, riding motorcycles and waving the flags of a radicalpro-Chavez party, tossed tear gas canisters at the station.

The channel said one guard suffered a burned hand when he triedto pick up one of the canisters, and a police officer postedoutside was hit in the head by a hurled object and requiredstitches. Globovision broadcast video showing clouds of tear gasoutside the building as employees ran for cover. Two workers weretreated after inhaling tear gas.

Globovision's director, Alberto Federico Ravell, condemned theviolence and urged Chavez to control his backers. He said some ofsome of the armed assailants threatened security guards.

Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami condemned "this violentaction against a television channel" and said authorities wereinvestigating.

The telecommunications agency's decision to act against the 34radio stations set off an outcry from press freedom groups andrights activists, who contend Chavez is trying to gradually pushaside critical voices.

Hundreds of Venezuelan protesters gathered outside the CNB radiostation over the weekend to express their outrage.

"I feel the country that I knew, where I was raised, isslipping away," said Alix Villareal, a 43-year-old maid who criedalongside other demonstrators. "I'm sad because little by littlethey are taking away everything, and nobody does anything."

Public Works Minister Diosdado Cabello, who heads thetelecommunications agency, announced the decision to force the 34stations off the air Friday, and denied the government is trying topunish critics.

Cabello said the stations violated regulations by failing toupdate their registrations or allowing their licenses to expire.Others held licenses granted to a person who is now deceased, hesaid.

"The state is retaking control of concessions that were beingused in an illegal manner during more than 30 and 40 years,"Cabello said. "It's an act of justice."

Chavez has defended the decision to sideline the radio stationsas part of a "struggle against the media war, against the lies ofthe bourgeoisie and the oligarchy" - terms he frequently uses forhis opponents.

It remains unclear what will become of the radio frequenciesthat have been vacated. Chavez has suggested some could be handedover to create "popular radio in the hands of the people."

While some of the 34 stations are now transmitting over theInternet, most have simply shut down and are mulling their nextmove.

Five of the 10 stations owned by CNB president Nelson Belfortlost their licenses. The broadcaster's revenues are expected totumble, putting the jobs of its 200 employees at risk, CNB vicepresident J.J. Bartolomeo said in an interview at the station'soffices in Caracas.

The station "is looking at all the possible alternatives so theimpact is reduced," he said.

Belfort, who also heads the Venezuelan Broadcasters Chamber,complained that the telecommunications agency didn't allow for dueprocess. "We didn't have a right to defense," he said.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director for Human RightsWatch, accused Chavez of leading "a frontal attack on freedom ofexpression," saying Venezuela's government is trying to stifledissent.

Vivanco condemned a proposal now being discussed by Venezuelanlawmakers to punish yet-to-be-defined "media crimes" with up tofour years in prison. In a statement last week, he called theproposal "a recipe for censorship."

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